I'm a photoholic. If there's a picture presenting itself, it burns my heart not to have a camera handy. Toting my SLR around everywhere is cumbersome (but I still do it). My essential camera gear consists of an SLR, a zoom lens, a small tripod (sometimes) and most important of all, a small point-and-shoot camera.
The last item is very important. There have been times where taking the SLR along isn't possible - first time snowboarding, roller coasters, etc. I always travel with a small point-and-shoot camera in my backpack, be it on business or pleasure. And that has helped me capture some very interesting pictures.
When it comes to small point-and-shoot cameras, none beat Canon, in my opinion and experience. I've always been a Canon and Nikon guy - these companies know how to make good cameras. They have experience with photography and optics. Many of my friends and relatives judge cameras by simply falling for the megapixel rating. To me, it isn't as important as good quality optics.
I've owned a Canon Digital Elph II in the past. Sadly, it's battery life has come to an end. It was a 2 megapixel camera which has served me well. I replaced with the Canon's SD 1000 in August 2007. The SD 1000 is compact, yet powerful enough for my needs.
Digital Photography Review carries an excellent article on the SD1000.
